


Stack Overflow

by Keroshroom



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Friendship, Future Foundation (Dangan Ronpa), Gen, Hinata Hajime and Kamukura Izuru Are Merged, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Jabberwock Island (Dangan Ronpa), Recovery, Redemption, Remnants of Despair (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26635027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keroshroom/pseuds/Keroshroom
Summary: The boy once called Hajime Hinata wakes up after the events from the Neo World Program to absolute information overload. At the same time, the subject once called Izuru Kamukura wakes up overwhelmed by the normal action of feeling.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

# Stack Overflow

## 

Reality was crumbling around them. They had won, beaten the virus that thrust this virtual dream world into a nightmare. The five of them promised each other they would remember everything, no matter what the future had in store. The circle of friends stood with their heads held up high as everything holding the digital space together faded away leaving nothing but an empty white void.

  
He slowly opened his eyes. _Everything is so bright, it hurts…._ His vision was burning from the blinding artificial lighting illuminating the large room.  
  
_Compact fluorescent bulbs, good for illuminating large spaces..._  
  
He sits up with the deafening noise of the surrounding machinery pounding against his eardrums.  
  
_The mainframe’s cooling system tasked with keeping the system from overheating…_  
  
He grits his teeth. _Was the real world always this loud?_ He wonders as a similar voice immediately answers. **Yes.**  
  
There were other sounds in the room.  
  
_Voices, at least four distinct ones, one male three female. Three other males were not talking but present._  
  
_Why do I know this?_ **No, of course I know this.**  
  
_“Wait, this is the real world, it worked! I still remember!”_ His memories of his friends and experiences in the Neo World Program started to stream back into his head. But the flood of information didn’t stop at just those memories…  
  
-A girl lay crumpled on the floor in her own blood reaching out toward him- **Pain, irrational pain. Why?** -Tears began streaming down his cheeks-  
  
He squinted at the others in the present room. Four classmates, battered and scared, _the one scar on the brunet’s arm would have been from a 6cm combat knife which was deflected once it hit the bicep. There were three other visible scars with a high probability of them being caused by a katana-_  
  
Another memory. -a strawberry blond with a wide grin- **Her face causes a furious fictious heat to radiate off of my face and arms.**  
  
Then the dam holding back every talent, memory, and emotion was blown to pieces from the oncoming flood.  
  
_Three future foundation members, Makoto Naegi Ultimate Hope and Lucky Student, Byakuya Togami Ultimate Heir, and Kyoko Kirigiri Ultimate Detective-_  
  
**A calming sensation when thinking about friends-**  
  
_The future foundation has 16 main branches with-_  
  
**A need to comfort grieving-**  
  
_Time dilation was in effect while inside-_  
  
_This is too much._  
  
He grabbed his head violently.  
  
**Recoiling from the sight of the medical-**  
  
_Panic attack symptoms include: rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating-_  
  
**It needs to stop.**  
  
The pain, these thoughts, it’s too much-  
  
**No underlying health issues, but It’s so hard to bre-**  
  
_Make it stop!_ **Make it stop!**  
  
_Kirigiri will be within striking range in exactly 3.74 sec-_  
  
_Makeitstop_ **makeitstop** _makeitstop_ **makeitstop** _makeitstop_ **makeitstop** _ **makeitstopmakeitstopmakei-**_  
  
**A wanting to be w-**  
  
He opened his mouth to scream.  
  
_She has a needle in her right hand, it’s concealed to not cause alarm, it’s full o-_  
  
_**MAKE IT ST –**_  
  
The noise had begun to fade and everything else went with it.  


Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu was sitting in a makeshift chair of some old computer equipment. The room he woke up in, the Neo World Program room, was lit with dim florescent lights but the calm green glow of the of his classmate’s pods was the only light he really wanted to focus on. The future foundation member who introduced herself as Kyoko Kirirgiri said they were going to go over what came next once the other survivors were awake.

Sonia and Soda had woken up a little bit before himself. Soda was quietly sitting a (to his surprise) respectful distance from Sonia who was still calming down a distressed Owari. The gymnast had woken up, after himself, kicking and screaming but after a combined effort from Naegi and Sonia, they had managed to calm the brunet to the point of being reasoned with.

Out of the three future foundation members, Mokoto Naegi was the most reasonable. That kid had like an endless fountain of optimism and patience, even after all the swearing and insults he chucked his way when he woke up.

He didn’t care much for Kirigiri, she was the Ultimate Detective after all, and he’d met his fair share of gumshoes before. They were always sticking their noses where they never needed to be. She had already asked her fair share of questions but if it wasn’t for the fact that she helped save his ass he would have stopped answering them long ago.

Byakua Togami on the other hand was the most self-centered jack-ass he had ever met. It’s like he was born with a stick up his ass. He wanted to punch the smugness out of his face when ever they locked eye to eyes. If it wasn’t for Naegi constantly trying to deflate the tension between them he would have by now.

The yakuza couldn’t help but stare over at Peko’s pod. It was slightly transparent so he could see her laying peacefully within. He wanted so badly to just smash it open and pull her out of it, and he almost did after Togami started talking about her and the others like they were just vegetables, just to prove that they were still alive. They would wake up. They had to. He would never let the smug bastard be right. Fuyuhiko started to stare off into space wondering just how he could do it, when it happened.

He wasn’t expecting an anguished yell to come from the last surviving member of the killing game.

Kirigiri was rushing over to Hinata’s side before he even started screaming. She had prepared sedatives before anyone woke up as a final precaution in case the Neo World Program didn’t succeed in its despair rehabilitation. Luckily, they hadn’t been needed so far but…

He hadn’t expected his friend to completely loose it (or have that much god damn hair), out of everyone he expected Hinata to be there smiling that stupid corny smile he had before they said their goodbyes in the virtual world. The gangster never expected the Reserve Course student to look to be in so much pain upon awaking. 

  
The second time his friend woke up he definitely didn’t expect to be thrown across the room like a fucking rag doll.  


###### 

  
Yet there he was,  
  
Luckily it had been an empty cart he slammed into but it still freakin’ _hurt._  


They had moved Hinata to the hospital on the third island. Turns out most of the Jabberwock Island from the simulation was based off the real thing, which made getting around a lot easier. Kirigiri decided to hand-cuff their leader to the hospital bed they had lain him in. Just so he wouldn’t run off in case no one was around when he woke up. At least that’s what she said but after she did the same thing to his other arm, he knew damn well the detective didn’t trust Hinata at all. 

Togami said the sedative would wear off in a few hours so they all just sat around Hajime’s hospital room and waited. That Naegi kid at some point went and got some food for everyone while the other two future foundation members started to explain their current situation. It wasn’t the best way to remember how shitty he helped make the world but it passed the time. 

Sonia was the first to notice Hajime stir. She called everyone over out of concern for her friend. Kuzuryu decide to stay put he wasn’t that sentimental to begin with and he wasn’t going to start going to be now. 

The Reserve Course student sat up like a rocket. His eyes were slammed shut but his expression looked like a deer in the headlights before he went into full blown panic mode. Again, he acted like his head was in immense pain. When the others tried to calm him, all it seemed to do was make the situation worse. Kirigiri had prepared another needle but Hinata was thrashing about too much for her to use it. The yakuza ran over to help hold his panic-stricken peer down, but before he got close enough, Hajime broke the cuff chains holding him to the bed. In another split second he moved to use Kuzuryu’s own moment to throw him across the room. 

By the time he got up his former classmate was settling down. It looked like Owari had tackled him back to the bed leaving enough time for the detective to inject the sedative.

  
He walked back over to the others before exclaiming “What the fuck was that all about!?”  
  
“Yes, please, I would also like to know what is wrong with our friend.” Sonia added.  
  
Kirigiri had her hand on her chin as she thought. Everyone was quiet until she answered.  
  
“Perhaps bringing him here was the wrong choice in hindsight.”  
  
He wanted to blurt out “No shit, sherlock.” But held his tongue.  
  
She looked over the now sleeping boy and brushed his hair away from his forehead, exposing a rather ugly scar that wrapped around his head just under his hair line. She then moved to examine his arms. No one else would have noticed had she not pointed them out but there were numerous smaller scars running up and down his arms as well.  
  
Kazuichi jumped once he saw the surgical remnants. “D-dude what the hell? Is this from all that stuff that AI was talkin’ about? This is all Hope’s Peaks doing? That’s messed up.”  
  
The detective nodded.  
  
Makoto looked as if he was trying to get it but couldn’t quiet put the pieces together. “I still don’t understand…”  
  
She sighed as if the answer was obvious before explaining to the rest. “I believe Hinata’s last outburst was more from fear than the original one. He has clearly undergone multiple surgical procedures; this environment might have triggered a form of PTSD upon his awakening.”  
  
The room went silent. A feeling of guilt washed over most of it. Togami broke it, his irratation dripping from every word. “Will this happen again? If he is still truly Izuru Kamukura he could quiet easily murder us. It’s a miracle he hadn’t already. For the safety of the last of the Togami line and yourselves we should kill him before he wakes up again.”  
  
“NO!” Makoto shouted before any of the remnants could even repute the Ultimate Heir.  
  
Kyoto held her hand up as to silence her friends. “I don’t believe this is Kamukura we are dealing with, his emotional outbursts are enough to confirm that, but it is not entirely Hinata either as we have witnessed from his strength and sensitivity to light and sounds.”  
  
Kuzuryu spoke up. “So what can we do to help the poor bastard, cause killing him is out of the question.” He glared at Togami as he finished.  
  
“I have a few theories.”  


  
That sickening smell of stale antiseptics aroused him from his slumber. **Hospital.** _**More procedures? No, no more, I need to leave.**_  
  
**It hurt so much before.** _Fear._  
  
He opened his eyes and found the room to still be shrouded in darkness. _Polyester-cotton blend._ **Blindfold. _The light no longer hurt._**  
  
Everything was coming back again, but slower.  
  
_Grogginess caused from the sedatives._ **Slower cognitive functions.**  
  
He tried to sit up but found his arms and legs were bound.  
  
_Rough texture, bound around wrist and ankles._ **Leather Straps.** _They don’t trust me._ **A metaphorical burning pain behind the eyes.** _Sadness._  
  
_Faint rhythmic beating to the right roughly a meter off the ground. Accompanied with soft wheezes._ **A person, sitting on my right, asleep. Rate of respiratory functions along with their height indicate probability of it being Kazuichi Soda 82%.**  
  
_**A friend.**_ _Relief, happiness._  
  
Things _felt_ better than last time and the **information** was becoming easier to process.  
  
_**Will he help me?**_ _He’s my friend of course._ **But my actions have caused mistrust. Success sits at 76%.** _That shouldn’t matter I believe in him._  
  
“Soda?” he croaked. All the yelling from before catching up to him as he spoke.  
  
“Wha- OH! You’re a-awake! Hang on a minute, I need to tell the others.” And with that his footsteps drifted quickly out of the room.  
  
They returned with four other sets.  
  
_Uneasy breaths from four._ **They are cautious and fearful.**  
  
“He’s not screaming this time, that’s good, right?” _short male uneasy._ **Kuzuryu**  
  
“Let’s not rush things, ok” _again short but different more optimistic._ **Naegi.** “How are you feeling, Hinata?”  
  
_**Hinata?**_ _It sounds right **but...**_ **Is that my name?**  
  
“Better. It doesn’t hurt as much.” Man, he sounded horrible.  
  
It got quiet again. **An unspoken conversation.**  
  
“I’m going to un-do the straps then. Is that ok?” Makoto's words shook as he asked.  
  
He does as he said. First the arms then the legs. It goes silent again as he sits up.  
  
_Breaths are being held._ **They are waiting for my reaction.** _I trust them._ **Hostilities sit at 34% against me.**  
  
He swings his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stands up.  
  
_I can’t see._ **But everything else is clear.**  
  
He moves to take the blindfold off but hesitates.  
  
_**Will it still hurt? I don’t want the pain again.**_  
  
He decides against taking it off. He can guess the others are puzzled by his inaction. So, he changes the subject.  
  
“Where are Owari and Togami?” he asked. He heard the others shuffle uneasily at his question. He predicts they want to ask how he knows their friends aren’t present when he can’t see them but they don’t.  
  
Kirigiri answered “They are with the unconscious remnants. Keeping watch in case something develops.”  
  
“Can I see everyone?” He is unsure of her answer.  
  
“Of course! We were checking on you before we went back to them.” He can tell Naegi is smiling but the others are not.  
  
“It is good to see that you are feeling better. We were worried about you.” Sonia sounded cheerful but it also held sadness as well as relief.  
  
_They missed me._ **She wants you to lead them again.**  
  
“I missed you too Sonia.” He felt more confident.  
  
After exiting the hospital, he took the lead, he already knew the layout of the islands from before.  


  
There was some small talk from the Future Foundation members on the way over. They informed him that now that he was awake, they would need to leave the islands to avoid suspicion from their bosses. They would keep in touch and send supply shipments when they could.  
  
**They are in trouble. _But they helped anyway?_**  


  
After they arrived at their destination. Owari ran over to greet everyone. He exchanged pleasantries with her.  
  
Togami only acknowledged him with the statement “Ah, Kamukura, you are awake.”  
  
_**Is that my name?**_ **It is correct.** _But it still sounds wrong._  
  
With his little group of survivors finally together again the Future Foundation members began to lay out plans and explain the inner workings of the Neo World Program.  
  
**This is boring.** _I already know this?_ **I sabotaged this. _I caused this._** _Regret._  


Their saviors left early the next morning. 

  
He still hadn’t taken the blindfold off.  
  
_**I am too scared to. There was too much pain.**_  
  
Kazuichi was the first to address the elephant in the room when they met for breakfast.  
  
“So that Kirigiri said you weren’t Hinata but you aren’t that Kamukura person either, right? I don’t get it. Also, the blindfold schtick is getting kinda creepy. You ever gonna take it off?”  
  
“Soda!” an upset Sonia scolded the mechanic for his rude remarks.  
  
“What!? We were all thinkin’ it…” He groaned in rebuttal.  


  
But the question stuck.  
  
_**Who am I?**_  
  
He thought about it all last night but no matter how many talents the Ultimate Hope had he still couldn’t find a solution.  
  
**The doctors named me Izuru Kamukura, Ultimate Hope.** _But I was born Hajime Hinata the talentless._  
  
**Kamukura is talent.** _Hinata felt._  
  
**Everything was boring and predictable.** _Everything was an experience to be cherished and remembered._  


“I don’t know.” was all he could say before he walked off, no destination in mind. None of his friends followed him but he could hear them arguing as he strolled off into the distance. 

He found himself on the central island, at Jabberwock Park. He could feel the moss on the old statue that sat in the middle of the park as he climbed it. He did not know why but he felt drawn to perch on the once beautiful centerpiece. He sat on the stump of what was the horse guardians' head, arms crossed. Lost in thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> If it wasn't clear:  
>   
> The _thoughts_ are from the Hinata half,  
>   
> the **thoughts** are from the Kamukura half,  
>   
> and the _**mixed thoughts**_ are from them both.  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

# Stack Overflow

  
The sky was exploding with numerous colors as the Sun moved to sink below the waves. The long-haired boy with the blindfold had sat on the Jabberwock Island’s centerpiece for hours. No other person had found him nor had he predicted they would until later. Which was fine, he had too much to think about anyway.  
  
He found no conclusion for his original identity question but weighed the options of just choosing one and suppressing the other.

_They know me as Hajime Hinata._ **Familiarity breeds trust.** _But they trust me already. **We all made it out together.**_ **They saw me as a leader then. They are going to turn to me for guidance.** _Can I do that for them?_ **They are all mentally unstable right now.** _So many conflicting feelings on everything… How can I look them in the eyes when I know everything I did?_ **They also have those thoughts. I was not a remnant like they were. Thus, they think more highly of me. _They don’t trust themselves._** _Even after everything we did together. **I can’t do that as I am now.** It was easier when emotions didn’t get in the way. I was so confident in myself then. Izuru can help them more. **Hajime is just getting in the way.**_ **There are many tasks that need to be completed before the others can awaken. _I can afford to wait on the answer to Soda’s question._**

  
**They need me now.**

Fuyuhiko walked along the central island kicking up the sand has he went. After Soda’s stupid comment towards Hinata this morning, their leader was no where to be found. Owari guessed that perhaps he didn’t want to be found. _Geeze, I know the feeling,_ they all did. What the fuck did those future foundation guys expect them to do now? Nobody could live with themselves after what they did and to top it all off, they were just dumped on some rundown shithole of an island in the middle of the _god damn ocean_ and told to just sit there like a little kid as their mom went to the store. At least the virtual island had been livable. This place looked like no one had been here in years.

  
He kicked some plants to let off some steam when his foot hit something hard.  
  
A curse left the yakuza’s lips as he registered the pain.  
  
Whatever it was it caught his eye. It looked like a cut lump of wood. He reached down to brush the plants away to get a better look.  
  
“Jabberwock Park -->” was written in rotting letters on the old sign.  
  
Oh right, this Island had that big park where Monokuma started this whole fucked up situation in the first place.

But that’s not what struck him as odd about his new discovery. It was the fact that if it wasn’t for this literal sign, he would have forgotten about that park in the first place. The old path that led there was long gone. Covered up by overgrown plants.  
  
It was getting late, but this was the only place they hadn’t searched for their friend yet. So, with a groan the gangster waded his way through the undergrowth towards the old park.

  
After getting stabbed by _yet another_ tiny palm tree thing he was at wits end. Under his breath he cursed at this stupid idea.  
  
Finally, a small clearing could be seen up ahead. That got Kuzuryu‘s motivation back as he sprinted through the last of the underbrush.  
  
It was certainly different from the Neo World’s version. That huge statue had lost a few parts as nature tried to reclaim it as its own. The most interesting bit about it though, was the figure brooding at the top of what was once the horse part. _Fucking finally._

Fuyuhiko called up to the boy. “HEY! You gonna sit up there and mope like some kind of weird vulture all day or are you going to come help your friends put this shitty island back together?” He watched as his friend moved to look at him. Well look is the wrong word. Hinata still had that damn blindfold on. _Soda is right about that though; it is fucking creepy._ After his friend jumped (and almost gave him a heart attack in the process) down the former Reserve Course student didn’t say a thing as he led the two of them out of the park.

  
All that hair gave Hajime a silhouette worthy of a horror movie villain as night crept up on them. Despite the darkness _and blindfold_ the taller boy led them safely back to the hotel. This was where they all agreed to stay until the old cottages could be fixed up to the point of being livable again.

  
As they entered the doors by the pool, the other survivors ran up to greet them, worry written all over their collective faces.  
  
“I am so glad. Thank you for finding Hinata safe and sound, Kuzuryu. We were all so worried after you left this morning.” Sonia’s voice was full of relief from seeing the two of them.  
  
Kazuichi walked up slowly to his missing friend, his hands wrung nervously around his beanie. “Hey, man. Uh… I’m sorry about what I said this morning…. I know we’re all going through some tough-“  
  
The newest arrival cut him off. “It is fine… I only needed to mull over my own predicament. I am finished now. We will be able to move along with the restorations in the morning.”  
  
Soda stood relieved as he put his hat back on. However, the others in the room were left in shock at their friend’s drastic shift in behavior. It was like his voice had lost every once of emotion.  
  
Before Fuyuhiko could comment on it Hinata had already walked upstairs. All he could do instead was stand still with his mouth agape.  
  
Sonia turned back to address the small group after she watched Hinata leave. “I’m sure he is only tired. It has been rather stressful these past few days…”  
  
Owari yawned before she responded. “Yeah sure whatever. I know I’m tired. Let’s just sleep so I can get to the food in the morning.”  
  
And thus, the four friends turned in for the night knowing tomorrow had much in store for them.

  
Soda got up with a big yawn and an aching back. The old sleeping bags they looted from the RocketPunch Market weren’t the best thing to be sleeping on but at least they were something soft.  
  
He looked around to where he saw his friends fall asleep last night only to realize he was the last one to get up. He groaned as he wriggled out of the sleeping bag and to his feet.  
  
Something smelt really good. For a moment he was reminded of Hanamura’s cooking before memories brought the mechanic back to the present. He guessed the others were upstairs having breakfast and went up to satisfy his growling stomach.

  
It was not the sight he expected to see.

  
Everyone except his soul bro were digging in to what looked like an amazing breakfast. The past few days’ worth of meals had not exactly been awful but nobody really knew how to cook and the ingredients they had on hand were slim. But this looked like something Teruteru made. He grabbed a liberal amount from the table and sat down next to a ravenous Owari.  
  
“Where- “ was all he got to say before Kuzuryu cut in.  
  
“Hinata.” The smaller boy then went to take another bite of breakfast before he continued. “Apparently the bastard’s been holding out on us and before you ask, he already left. He said something about needing to check on the others.” The gangster took another bite. “Oh, and since you’re the last one up you got dish duty.” There was a smirk on his face that accompanied that last remark.  
  
“Aww man…”

After Soda was done cleaning his peer’s morning mess, he went to go work on the various tasks that needed to be done around the islands. Most of the generators were on renewable power sources so they only needed a tune up. It was a miracle, really, that the third, second, and first islands had power at all but he needed parts and RocketPunch Market had nothing of use. So, first stop was the Neo World Program room on the second island. There had to be something useable in all that dusty computer equipment (and was a good excuse to visit his sleeping comrades.). The large building that housed the virtual island wasn’t empty when he arrived. He heard two voices conversing as he made his way into the room.

  
“I’m sorry I wasn’t created for such a complex task.”  
  
“No, I predicted as much. What is the status of the program as a whole?”  
  
“No trace of the Enoshima virus has been found and restoration of corrupted Neo World Program data is at 12%.”  
  
“Very well, return to your assigned task.”  
  
The first voice he didn’t recognize but as he got closer, he saw it was from a cute girl standing in the middle of the large monitors that ran the system. The other voice he knew, who could he forget the guy he made a soul friend pact with, but it sounded dull like all the life was sucked out of it. As the girl on the screens waved goodbye and disappeared, Hinata addressed him without ever acknowledging his presence.

  
“There are spare electronic parts in the pile of unused computers on the right.” Hajime still hadn’t turned around to greet him as he continued doing something on the master system.  
  
Now his friend was just starting to piss him off.  
  
“Yeah well, good morning to you too.” His words were laced with irritation at his friend’s dismissal.  
  
Soda hoped to get a reaction out of Hinata but the boy just continued typing as he walked by to examine the computer parts he mentioned. He tried to get a good look at his busy friend’s face but all that messy dark hair was blocking most of it. One thing he did notice, is that his peer finally took that creepy blindfold off. _Well duh would be hard to type when you can’t see. I wonder what he’s up to._  
  
Kazuichi sat down to start disassembling his first hard drive. When his friend broke the silence again.  
  
“I am coding an AI that will aid us in restoring the former remnants’ avatar data. Allowing them to awaken.”  
  
_Holy shit._ He knew Hinata was smart but he didn’t think he was _that smart._ Was it from all those talents Hope’s Peak gave him? Is that how he kept reading his mind? Was he some Ultimate Psychic now?  
  
As if to confirm his last thought his quiet buddy spoke up yet again.  
  
“No. I am not psychic. The Ultimate Analyst and other similar talents allow me to predict the most probable future events. You are also very easy to read even without these talents.”  
  
Well he guessed that made sense but wait… Hey that last bit was an insult!  
  
“I was merely stating the facts.” His voice droned; it was like he really didn’t care about his feelings anymore.  
  
Ugh how was a guy supposed to stand up for himself if he can’t even get a word in edge wise! What happened to being soul friends? This guy was someone else entirely than the one he met in the game but he was helping the others, right? Perhaps he was grumpy or something. _Whatever Hinata can go be emo over there. Let’s see what parts I can harvest._  
  
They both sat in silence as he farmed for parts.

The next few days went about the same. Soda took it upon himself to go scavenging for useful parts and fix up any mechanical items they found. Owari was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, Sonia was making things livable again by cleaning, Kuzuryu went about doing much of the numerous smaller jobs that needed to get done, and Hinata was well… doing everything else. He cooked, fixed the things they knew nothing about, directed the tasks for the day, and spent time coding the AI he talked about. He rarely talked to anyone anymore. When someone started a conversation with him, he gave curt answers and walked off to do something else. Saying things like “This is pointless.” or “How boring.”

It even seemed like the guy was going out of his way to avoid them. The only indication of him being around was the food he prepared at set meal times and when he appeared out of thin air anytime anyone had a question, no one but Mr. Talent could answer. He also now wore a pair of sunglasses everywhere. Making eye contact impossible. He was being downright inhuman and Kazuichi wasn’t even certain if the guy slept anymore.

  
It was extremely off putting to say the least.

It was a rare evening at the restaurant when his now alien friend showed himself. He stated he needed something from the kitchen before anyone could ask. The tension between Hinata and the others was high. Sonia always looked so sad and concerned when her old friend ignored her. Kuzuryu only got more pissed off and it didn’t look like his so-called perfect actions ever phased Owari. _She probably didn’t even notice._ She was rather thickheaded after all, but today was different. Akane put down what she was eating and stood up, her face obscured by shadow as she walked over to Hajime. The boy stopped when he noticed her odd behavior. The gymnast paused once she was in front of Hinata for what seemed like ages. Then she threw the meanest right hook he’d ever seen squarely into the other boy’s face. This sent her target and his shades flying backwards into the ground.

The three at the table, including himself, were stunned as too was the one now on the floor. Nobody got up to help. The bastard deserved it at this point. Blood was running down the long-haired boy’s nose but he only looked up in their direction with an actual expression that looked like he saw the world ending in front of him. It was the first time Soda really got to see his old friend’s eyes since they had left the killing game. They were so different from how he remembered them. One was now blood red and when he looked at you it was like being targeted for a kill. Nothing like the friendly olive ones he had spent so much time with.

  
A sniffle broke the silence, it was from Owari who hid her face as she looked at the floor. She then turned up to stare at her opponent.  
  
“I promised.” She was quiet at first but got louder all while tears streamed down her face. “I PROMISED I’D PUNCH YOU IF YOU STARTED ACTING WEIRD! NOW SNAP OUT OF IT! BRING MY OLD FRIEND BACK!”  
  
Sonia got up to comfort the crying girl.  
  
Hinata finally had some emotion on his face as he listened. His face contorted into a regretful frown when he absorbed her words. He looked down to hide his eyes in all that hair before he spoke up.  
  
“I can’t. The one you knew doesn’t exist anymore…” Those words were full of so much sadness.  
  
“NO WAY! HE CAN’T….” she was choking up now “… can’t have just disappeared…”  
  
Droplets of blood and water dripped off the other boy’s face now when he spoke.  
  
“You… you…don’t _get it!_ To wake up and suddenly feel and experience everything for the first time and yet at the same time know exactly everything that is happening…” He was sobbing harder than Owari now.  
  
“T-to wake up and be two completely different people at the same time!”  
  
“Now that’s complete bullshit!” Fuyuhiko jumped to his feet when he cut him off.  
  
“You don’t get to think you’re the only one here who is dealing with that garbage! You have all that talent and you still can’t see shit! All of us are completely fucked up!” His tears joined the other’s while he was still yelling. “We all woke up with memories of being the scum that _destroyed the world_. How do you think we’re dealing with it!?”

The yakuza paused to regain his composure. His words died down in volume as he went along.“I mean sure it isn’t brain surgery or whatever but we are still trying to figure out who we are too.”  
  
Sonia chimed in; her voice was so commanding. “Yes, Kuzuryu is correct but we can face these hardships together. Nobody is alone here.”  
  
Kazuichi looked up and found that everyone was crying now, even himself.  
  
The boy on the ground looked dumbstruck at his friend’s kind words. “But how? I don’t even know what my name is anymore…”  
  
It was Soda’s own turn to stand up and speak now. “Then we’ll help you find it together.” He flashed a shark toothed grin at his friend despite the water that streamed down his face too.  
  
“Alright.” The short blond said as he walked over to Hinata(?) and held out his hand. “I can’t stand this pity party anymore. Get up.”  
  
The taller boy took his hand and stood up with the rest of them. He then wiped his blood and tears on his arm before pulling his hair back to get a better view of everyone.

_**Was it really going to be ok?**_ As he made eye contact with his friends for the first time since leaving the Neo World, he could really see now that they we’re all hurting too. _**But we are hurting together.**_

  
The five of them met later that night after everyone calmed back down.  
  
Soda spoke to him first. “It is kinda difficult to talk to you without a name. I mean we’ve just been calling you what you told us in the game. Is it like you got a split personality or somethin now? Do they each have their own names?”  
  
He laughed at his friend’s confused comment. _**It felt good to laugh.**_  
  
He knew Sonia was going to scold Soda for making another rude comment but he didn’t mind anymore. So, he started before she could intervene.  
  
“No, nothing like that. It’s more like the person you met in the game and the one Hope’s Peak’s created are different people but when I exited the Neo World Program they were mixed together. Izuru never felt and Hajime never had talent but now they both could do what the other couldn’t. I remember being both of them too. So, I think that means I’m both at the same time. Sorry I guess it is hard to explain.”  
  
Kazuichi was still befuddled when he responded. “I still don’t really get it but… It means we’re still soul friends, right?”  
  
“Right.” He still didn’t really know what a soul friend was but the “still being friends” part was true.  
  
Owari shared the same confused look Soda had when she spoke next. “Man, that sounds like a pain. What if we just took both of your names and mixed them together.”  
  
_**That idea isn’t completely terrible…**_  
  
Kuzuryu scoffed when he heard her suggestion. “That sounds really stupid.”  
  
To prove him wrong Akane immediately workshopped some names. “Hizuru? Kamunata? Oh, what about Izume?”  
  
The others laughed at her creations which only annoyed her in return. The gymnast’s expression then changed to a smirk when she glanced over to her long-haired friend.  
  
“Yeah, well I don’t see no-name here laughing at them.”  
  
Everyone got quiet.  
  
“You’re not seriously going to use those, are you?” Kuzuryu gave him a doubting look.  
  
The former student sheepishly answered. “I mean Izume feels better than either Hajime or Izuru…”  
  
The gangster rolled his eye and raised his arms in disbelief. Which only got more laughter out of the lot of them.  
  
Sonia smiled “Now, what about your surname? That is extremely important part of who you are!”  
  
“Hmm… “  
  
_**Both are filled with good and bad memories but combining them wouldn’t be right either.**_  
  
“I never had the best parents. They did sign me away to be experimented on. All they ever wanted was a talented child…”  
  
Bringing up his parents caused the others to flinch. _**Everyone here has parental issues too.**_  
  
“I don’t really want my old family name back and the school called me Kamukura after Hope’s Peak’s founder. I don’t like what they did but the original Izuru Kamukura was a great guy when I looked into him. The school twisted his original ideas on hope into… well me. I don’t think I’d mind keeping that one.”  
  
Soda gave him a thumbs up. “Well that’s settled then.” Then the mechanic let out a yawn. “So… Is anyone else completely exhausted or is it just me?”  
  
Everyone groaned in agreement. The emotional turmoil from earlier had sapped most of their energy. The five friends decided to pile their sleeping bags together before saying their goodnights. No one was going to be on their own anymore. They would work through their troubles together and soon they would be there for their unconscious friends too.

As they drifted off to sleep. Izume Kamukura smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> This is my first attempt at writing anything creative in a looooooong time but it was fun.  
>   
> I just can't get these characters out of my head.  
> More to come soon.


End file.
